Never Leaving the Center
by Beckoning.Disaster
Summary: Most things are not always as they seem, certain things are better off forgotten, and once you get into some things, you won't ever be able to get out. ON HIATUS - please see my profile for more information.
1. Prologue

_'You know your problem? You take too much for granted. Take this Labyrinth. Even if you reach the center, you'd never get out again.'_

After the party, Sarah was completely exhausted. She snuck across the hall to kiss Toby and then, upon reaching her own room again, slipped into her pajamas and into her bed. She fell asleep within moments, the first time she ever slept without Lancelot.

It seemed like only seconds later when she woke up. There was a hand on her head, softly caressing the length of her hair. She curled up into a ball, refusing to get up and wanting to sleep longer. The hand paused, but continued to touch her. Thinking it was Karen or her Dad trying to wake her up, she said with a tinge of annoyance, "I'm _sleeping_ here!"

There was a moment of silence and the hand disappeared. She smiled to herself, satisfied and thinking that she had bought herself several more minutes of slumber.

"I am quite aware that you were sleeping, Sarah." A pleasant voice replied, a hand returning to her hair. "It is quite hard to ignore the large amount of drool on my shirt."

Her eyes opened immediately, and she pushed herself away from the warmth and the hand on her head. Unfortunately, that meant that she pushed herself backwards onto the ground and fell hard on her backside. She hissed with pain and looked up at a smirking, amused Goblin King.

"Am I dreaming?"

The words slipped out of her mouth before she could catch them. She _had_ to be dreaming, she just _had_ to. She won the game, and she never was supposed to be back!

Jareth shook his head, smiling smugly. "While I do appreciate the fact that you consider yourself to be dreaming when in my presence, I assure you that you are physically within the realms of reality."

"How did I get here?" She asked, completely confused and a bit frightened.

Jareth shrugged elegantly. "That is not a question you should be asking me. You unceremoniously appeared out of nowhere in my throne, on top of me, I might add. Not that I'm complaining, mind you."

"How is this possible?" Sarah asked, mostly to herself, putting her face into her hands.

Jareth cocked his head, looking at the girl with a tinge of sympathy in his eyes. She was obviously scared and out of her element, with her deliciously sinful red satin pajamas distracting him. "Why don't you get off of the floor, Sarah?" He suggested, very much liking the idea of having her warmth and satin pajamas back up against his body. But when he extended a hand to help her up, she quickly scuttled away from him.

"I don't want to get in a two mile radius of you, Goblin King." She said firmly, pushing her shoulders back defiantly.

Jareth raised an eyebrow. "I'd say it's quite too late for that, dearest."

Sarah's eyes travelled down to the large, wet spot on his white ruffled shirt that had felt like a pillow. "I'm sorry I drooled on you." She said rather bluntly and suddenly.

Jareth smirked, placing his chin on top of his closed fist. "That's quite alright. You are more than welcome to drool on me anytime, Sarah."

"I want to drool on my own bed, thank you very much." She said, frowning slightly at his suggestive tone. "How am I supposed to get home?"

"The same way you got here, I suppose." Jareth said before placing a finger on his lips and widening his eyes in a mockingly surprised expression. "Such a pity we don't know how that happened. Ah, well. Shall I prepare a room for you?"

"I don't want to stay here!" She cried out desperately. "I want to go home!"

Jareth tilted his head, thinking quickly. "Sarah," He said slowly. "If I was to offer you a deal that involved taking you back to your home, would you take it?"

"It depends on what it involves." She said suspiciously, still passionately upset.

"I will take you home and temporarily remove all your memories pertaining to me for a total of three years." He said. "But after those three years are up, your memories will slowly return and you will have to return here."

"Forever?" She asked.

"Yes." He nodded, watching her closely.

"But..." She was tempted to say 'That's not fair!', but quickly bit her tongue. An idea coming into her head, she straightened and started loudly, "But you have no --"

Instead of becoming upset or doing something drasticly desperate, like Sarah thought he would, Jareth cut her off with a laugh. "But, at the moment, I have quite a lot of power over you, Sarah. And I am being quite generous in allowing you the one thing that everyone wants -- _time_."

She frowned, defeated. The Goblin King grinned internally, knowing that he had just elliminated the only threat that had stood in his way. She would have no choice but to give in now.

Sure enough, she sighed and nodded after a moment. "Alright. It's a deal. But stay away from Toby." She added fiercely.

"Of course." He inclined his head in acknowledgement. While he was fond of the tyke, he had no use for Toby if he had Sarah. "Now, Sarah. Come here."

She hesitantly came forward and, when she was close enough, Jareth reached forward and pulled her up into his lap like he would a small child. He wrapped one arm around her waist, securing her against his chest, and took her left hand with his free hand. He pulled her hand up to his lips and gently kissed the middle of her open palm, muttering a few words against her soft skin. Sarah, while uncomfortable with the close proximity and intimate position, submissively allowed him to do whatever it was that he was doing.

After a moment, he let her hand drop to her side, and she didn't think to examine her hand after he was done with it. Jareth leaned forward and whispered softly in her ear, "Now say your right words, Sarah."

Even though she was exhausted, Sarah still knew exactly what words to say. Closing her eyes, she said obediently, "I wish the Goblin King would take me home." She paused dramatically. "Right... _now_."

Sarah promptly fell into a deep sleep, all memories of the Labyrinth completely forgotten. Jareth smirked triumphantly as he tucked his precious girl into her bed in her home. She wouldn't be able to remember her friends, her quest for her brother, or how much she detested the Goblin King until she turned eighteen. Then, her memories would slowly be returned to her, and he would be able to claim his Queen.

He congradulated himself for his quick-thinking. And, once he had Sarah forever, he made a mental note to teach her to think before she acted rashly.

As the Goblin King left Sarah, she turned over in her sleep, her left hand facing palm up to the sky. In the middle of her hand was a symbol that could be passed off as a birthmark in the Aboveground, but was a very clear sign of the Goblin King's property in the Underground.

There was a dark, peach-colored 'J' on Sarah Williams' left hand.

* * *

Blame my muses. This is their fault.

**Disclaimer:** _I own nothing but this plotline that popped into my head three hours ago._


	2. The Book

_'Nothing? Nothing, tra la la?'_

**Three Years Later...**

"Sarah! You're going to be late!"

"I'm working on it!" Sarah called back to Karen as she simultaneously let Merlin outside, gave Toby his jacket, and slipped on her own shoes. Her stepmother came into the kitchen, her hands on her hips in a distinctly Karen-like position.

"Remember that Toby can't have more than one of Mrs. Dean's lollipops." Karen said, grabbing her purse and slinging it over her shoulder. "We don't want his tummy to get upset. And I don't want him to read any of your --"

"Silly magic books." Sarah finished for her, kneeling down to zip up Toby's jacket. "I know, Karen. Now go have fun! Dad's been waiting for you in the car."

"Only because the CD player in the house is broken and he wants to listen to his music. He knows I can't stand his rock junk." She shook her head disapprovingly, but smiled at Sarah appreciatively. "We'll be back in a week. You have Uncle Dave's number?"

"You've only given it to me twenty times." Sarah smiled back at her stepmother, stepping away from Toby to grab her keys.

Karen leaned down to kiss Toby and both cheeks. He giggled and hugged his mother tightly. "I'll miss you, mommy." He said, his pronunciation very advanced for an almost five year old.

"I'll miss you too, Toby." She said affectionately. "Be good for Sarah, won't you?"

He nodded quickly. "Always am!" He grinned. "Go! You're gonna be late!" He made shooing motions with his hands, following his mother out of the door. Sarah was right behind them, and she locked the door on her way out.

"Have fun!" Sarah called after Karen as she got into the family car, and Robert Williams waved at his children as they backed out of the driveway. Sarah grabbed Toby's hand and the two of them waved goodbye to their parents until the car was out of sight.

"Why aren't _we _going to Cabin?" Toby asked as they walked towards the Library, where Sarah volunteered every Saturday and every weekday after school.

It was a particularly cloudy Saturday. It looked like it might rain later, and the wind blew cold air at random times. It was a good thing the Library was only a few blocks away.

"Because it's a grown-up trip." Sarah said. "They've been married four years. So they're going out to Uncle Dave's Cabin to celebrate."

Toby kicked a stray pebble that was lying innocently on the sidewalk in front of him. "But it's not fair that we can't go!"

"It is fair." Sarah replied serenely, used to her brother's attempts to claim fairness. She knew that his stubborness was karma for her own annoying quest for fairness as a child. But she was hoping to curb this trait in Toby by reasoning with him -- something that she had never received as a child, or even as a teenager. "We get to have pizza and stay up late for a week, while they have to _drive_ and sleep in the _car_."

Toby shuddered. He hated sleeping anywhere but in his own bed. "Okay. It's fair." Toby nodded, agreeing with his sister.

"You know what else is fair?" She asked, sing-songing her words.

His face lit up in anticipation. "What? _What_?"

She tapped a finger against her smiling lips, looking like she was really thinking for a moment. "I think it's fair to... tickle your brother at random times!"

Toby shrieked with glee as Sarah suddenly picked him up and tickled his sides. "No! Not fair!" Toby cried, laughing hysterically and thrashing around in an attempt to get away from his sister's tickle touch.

She eventually put him back down, both of them laughing and out of breath. But they were soon skipping and acting like it never happened, though the glow of their laughter was still on their cheeks.

"Do you know what books you're going to read today yet, Tobes?" Sarah asked, smiling down at him. Toby had an uncanny knack of predicting what types of books he was going to stumble on.

"One about beds." He said decisively. "Lots and lots of beds."

She chuckled, wondering if he would find "The Princess and the Pea" or if he would find another book about beds. Mrs. Dean usually sat by him, but she rarely said anything, and Mr. Phillips would often read to Toby when he got too tired or too lazy to read by himself. Sarah sometimes read to him too, but she was usually helping people check out their books or find the books they were looking for.

They entered the Library and were promptly greeted by all of the staff with waves and grins. The siblings were adored by the, mostly older, librarians and volunteers. Mrs. Dean held out a green lollipop, Toby's favorite, to the young boy as they passed by. Toby grinned at her and took the lollipop eagerly.

"Good morning, Sarah!" Lukas, a man about her father's age, called as she took Toby to "his" table that was in the middle of the library.

"Morning, Luke!" She called back, helping Toby take off his jacket and grabbing the "Rotten Ralph" book he had been unable to finish yesterday. Mrs. Dean scuttled over, smiling lovingly at the boy. "Is there someplace you want me to work in particular this morning?"

"Uh... just help anyone who needs some for awhile. You can take desk duty at twelve, okay?" Lukas said, and she nodded in response.

"Hi Mrs. Dean." Toby smiled and waved a chubby, lollipop-filled hand at the old lady. "Do you want to read with me?"

She nodded and sat down beside him. Toby put the book on the table and then looked quickly at Sarah, who was about to leave him alone. "You sure mommy would say this's okay?" He asked, looking up at his sister with wide eyes.

She grinned at him and ruffled up his hair, which made him pout and run his hand over his head to flatten it again. "She said no silly magic books." Sarah said. "There's nothing silly about the books you're reading, Toby. So don't worry. Just don't tell mommy, 'k?"

He nodded and shrugged his tiny shoulders. "'K."

"Have fun, Tobes." She hugged him quickly before leaving the table to go help out around the library.

She walked around the library, talking to people and helping out in whatever way she could, whether that was help finding a book or being good company. At around eleven thirty, after checking on Toby, she came back to the fiction area and found a man that immediately caught her eye.

Her intuition flared, telling her to get away, but her curiously overruled this instinct and she approached him. He was a good head taller than she was, with deep mahogany colored hair that could barely seen on his head. He wore all black -- a plain, black cotton shirt and black leather pants, as well as a long leather jacket. He even had black leather gloves. There was a silver chain that hung around his waist, and a silver earring in the ear that was facing her. He was searching intently among the books, one finger running along the titles.

"Can I help you?" She asked cheerfully, smiling.

He turned to her suddenly, his hand up in the air as if to catch an invisible ball. But he completely froze when his eyes roamed over her body and his eyes caught on her "volunteer" name tag. His arm dropped limply to his side and he nodded, smirking as he took her in. She caught herself from rolling her eyes.

"What are you looking for?" She asked politely, tilting her head in curiosity.

He tilted his head, and surprised her when he spoke in a heavy accent. "I'm looking for a book called 'Labyrinth'." He said. "It's very rare, but I heard that this library was lucky enough to have a copy. It should technically be in the children's section, but I was told that it was over here."

"'Labyrinth'?" She repeated, a picture flashing into her mind. _Run, running... running faster... wondering why there were no other turns or openings... _She shook her head once, letting it fade. "Do you know the author?" She asked, turning to the bookcase and searching herself.

"Not well." The man joked, leaning up against the book case. "I believe the last name is 'King', however." He was still watching her intently, but she ignored him.

Her finger ran along the spine of a small red book that she had never seen at the library before. Frowning slightly, she pulled it out and saw, in gold letters, "LABYRINTH". She paused, looking at it, and abruptly felt the need to take it home and read it. She felt like it was... _important_ to her, somehow... Like it was calling her name...

Shaking off her feelings, she turned her attention back to the man. "Is this it?" Sarah asked, handing it to him, forcing herself to put aside the feeling of loss when she did.

He grinned and took it from her fingertips. "Yes." He looked at it, a greedy gleam in his eyes. "This is it."

She suddenly had the urge to fight him, knock him down and take the book for herself. Startled that such a thought would pop into her mind, she just nodded. "Alright, then. I guess I'll just be --"

"What's your name?" He asked abruptly, interrupting her. His eyes flickered up to hers, and she noticed that his eyes were an unusual bright green.

"Sarah." She said automatically, not thinking to keep her identity a secret.

He held out a hand. "Travis." He said. She took the offered hand and they shook hands firmly. "Nice to meet you." A smirk played on his lips again.

"Nice to meet you, too." She said, not completely truthfully, and smiling as she reached up to tuck a stray lock of hair behind her ear. Suddenly, Travis straightened, all humor gone from his face. He was staring at where her hand and her ear met, and her brow furrowed when she noticed. "What?" She asked, confused and a bit annoyed, slowly letting her hand fall to her side.

"Y-your ha-han--" He stuttered before regaining his composure and clearing his throat. "Nothing." He said. "Nothing. Thank you for the book."

She was suddenly tempted to open her mouth, but she bit her tongue. Sarah raised an eyebrow, wondering what had gotten into her imagination today as she analyzed what she had suddenly wanted to say. Who even said "tra la la", anyways? It sounded like something her grandmother might say. Maybe that's where she picked it up from.

"Um, sure." She smiled hesitantly before turning away. She was tempted to tell him off for many things; being creepy, looking at her suggestively, and bringing up such odd thoughts into her mind. But she was in nice, helpful Sarah mode that worked at the Library.

She made herself put all thoughts of Labyrinths away from her mind as she worked the rest of her shift. And on the way home with Toby, she was so caught up with not thinking about that small red book, that she didn't even notice the owl that was following her home.

In broad daylight.

* * *

I would just like to thank EVERYONE who read, reviewed, or glanced at this story in passing. I mean, I thought this story might remain one-shotish for a while, but all of your reviews fueled the muses and... you got another chapter!

I would especially like to thank Tina senpai, kms5665, Sylistra the Scholar, DeathNymphetamine, Fantasy Mistress 143, Aysuh, hazlgrnLizzy, Allyon Everstone, NiminariAmriath, lonely 27, and chee-wit for reviewing. You guys were the ones that inspired me to write... and so quickly! :D

You guys are the best, really. You all made me laugh, tear up, and blush from your reviews.

Okay, so... I'm scared that I'm rushing this. But I don't know how to slow it down without swimming upstream (if you get what I mean). My entire goal in writing is to have people enjoy it, so I really need your feedback more than ever.

I am looking for a beta who would be willing to put up with my crazyness. The only thing I ask for it that you would be able to reply quickly -- I'm not a patient person! :D

I hope you like this chapter, and please, please, REVIEW!! I MUST know what you are thinking!! :) I love you all!!

**Disclaimer:**_I own nothing Labyrinth-related, blah blah blah, et cetera, et cetera._


	3. The Party

_"What did you have to go and do a thing like that for?"_

"Oh, c'mon, Sarah! Live a little!" Jennifer, Sarah's best friend, was pleading over the phone. "Toby can come over and play with Todd while we go out. Bethany is a completely capable babysitter, and it's not like we're leaving them for long."

Sarah sighed, running a hand through her hair. Jennifer wanted to go out partying, like she often did, while Sarah wanted to stay home with Toby. "I don't know, Jen. You know me and how I... don't do the partying thing." Sarah didn't have a good track record with parties and the reason Jennifer liked parties: boys.

"It won't be like that this time." Jennifer said, which is what she always said when trying to convince Sarah to do things. "C'mon, Sar. Please? You know you wanna!"

Sarah bit down on her lip, glancing back at Toby, who was serenely eating his cheese pizza and watching cartoons. She assumed that he probably would want to go play with his friend Todd. "But weird things happen, Jen." She whispered into the phone.

"I think sometimes you just have an overactive imagination." Jennifer whispered back dramatically.

She hesitated, torn between the practical and wild sides of herself. She really did like parties and the attention she often received, but she was trying to be responsible. "Okay." She relented. "But at the first sign of trouble, we skiddadle."

"Skiddadle." Jennifer scoffed. "Who even uses that word, Sar? Seriously? But, okay, whatever you feel comfortable with."

"Thanks." Sarah smiled, even though Jen couldn't see.

Jennifer let out a squeal of delight. "This is going to be so much fun, I promise!"

"Come pick me up?" Sarah looked at the clock quickly. "In twenty minutes?"

"Sounds good!" Jennifer replied enthusiastically.

The two girls said their goodbyes before hanging up. Sarah stood by the phone for a second, just thinking. She was excited, but also incredibly nervous. "Hey, Tobes?" She asked, coming over and muting the television. He looked up at her curiously. "How would you feel about going over to hang out with Todd tonight?"

He grinned brightly. "Yes!" He pumped his small fist in the air.

She laughed. "Okay, then! Lets get your stuff, and we'll go."

Twenty-five minutes later, Sarah and Toby were in Jennifer's car, Toby in his dinosaur pajamas and Sarah in a chic dress. Toby was getting out of the car, and a tall girl with short brown hair stood by a small boy at the doorway of a red brick house. "Love you, Tobes!" Sarah called after Toby.

"Bye, Sarah!" He waved goodbye before trotting over to his friend and the sitter.

"I'm so excited!" Jennifer giggled when they were on the road again. "I heard Drew Davidson's gonna be there. And he is_ so_ hot!"

"He's got a girlfriend." Sarah pointed out, smirking.

"Not for long!" Jennifer grinned, her voice cheery and bright.

They pulled into a busy driveway after a few more minutes, the sky dark and the noise level from inside the house high. "Part-_ay_!" Jen cried happily as they got out of the car. She practically skipped up to the front door, while Sarah casually walked.

An attractive man opened the door and Jen about swooned. It was Drew Davidson. "Hey, I didn't know you two were coming." His eyes lingered on Sarah for a moment longer than Jen. "C'mon in. Punch is in the back."

"Thanks." Sarah said coolly as Jen hyperventilated.

"Hot, hot, _hot_!" Jen squealed as they made their way through the crowded house.

"Girlfriend." Sarah reminded her friend steadily, taking two punches from the table in the back.

"Girlfriend, wife, lover, whatever. Who cares? I'd jump his bones anytime."

"Ew! Gross, Jen!" Sarah crinkled her nose in disgust while Jen grinned and rolled her eyes.

Suddenly, a boy a little older than Sarah approached them, his eyes fixed on Sarah. "Wanna dance?" He asked throatily.

She smiled. "Uh, sure." She left her punch with Jennifer, who was quickly looking around for Drew and ignoring the man behind her trying to ask her out on the dance floor too.

Sarah didn't even catch her partner's name before they started dancing. They moved up against one another in rhythm to the blaring beat. They swayed and moved and twirled for what seemed like forever.

She lost track of time, but eventually he grabbed her hand and pulled her out of the sea of people over to a secluded corner.

Her heart started to beat faster. This was it -- she could do this. Kiss and be kissed without something horrible happening. She wanted this, gosh darn it!

He pulled her into the corner, and his hand pulled her middle to meet his. She put one weak hand around his neck and groaned happily as he started kissing her ear, whispering sweet nothings against her earlobe. She made a pleasured noise in the back of her throat in response to his actions, her lips upturning in her happiness. It felt so good to be surrounded by a male body, to feel like a complete, adored goddess.

She moaned when he bit the top of her ear, and then pulled his lips down to meet hers. They kissed passionately, their tongues clashing for dominance. She pulled her limp hand up to meet the other one at the base of his neck, and leaned up to kiss him harder.

He was suddenly gone.

Her eyes flashed open and she saw her make-out partner unconscious on the floor. She gasped and leaned down to check his pulse, her own heart beating frantically. He had a steady, clear pulse, and he looked like he was peacefully sleeping. Sarah's mind was in a whirlwind, thinking too many things at the same time; why was this happening? Why wasn't she surprised? Was he okay?

Sarah looked up and realized that no one else had even spared them a second glance. They had gone to the sacred kissing corner, where completely privacy was given. She forced herself to breathe, trying not to panic.

Then she ran, leaving all attempts to remain calm behind. She searched for Jennifer in the crowd, and when she found her, Sarah quickly grabbed her friend away from the guy she was with. Jennifer angrily cried out, "Hey! What the hell?"

Sarah turned around and gave her "the look". Jennifer paled. "Not again..." Jen mumbled, half in self-pity, and half in sympathy.

Sarah said nothing and marched outside with her friend.

"What happened?" Jen asked, a tinge of annoyance in her voice, as they both slipped into the car.

Sarah fidgeted with her hands, and she looked around nervously. "I don't know." She muttered pathetically. "I... I really don't know."

"Just tell me what happened." Jennifer demanded, revving up the engine and pulling out of the driveway. She loved Sarah, but sometimes she was just so much trouble.

"I..." Sarah shook her head. "Well, the guy... we danced and then we... and we... well, we started... uh..."

"Kissing?" Jen asked, raising an eyebrow.

Sarah nodded quickly, sinking into the seat. "What is wrong with me?" She groaned pathetically, letting her face fall into her hands.

"Oh, get a grip." Jen slapped Sarah's arm lightly. "There's nothing wrong with you! Except your attitude tonight. What the heck did you do that makes you feel so bad? Punch him? Knee him in the down unda' zone?"

"I somehow knocked him unconscious."

Jen's mouth dropped open, and the car stopped in the middle of the street. "Are you serious? How did you do that?"

"That's what I don't get!" Sarah half-yelled in frustration. "I didn't do anything wrong! He was just suddenly... down."

"Woah." Jen shook her head and started driving properly as a car honked behind her. "I'm goin', I'm goin'!" She shouted to the driver behind her, even though they probably couldn't hear her.

"So, what am I supposed to do?" Sarah asked, wetting her lips in a nervous gesture. "Stay clear of boys for the rest of my life? It seems like every time I get intimate, something bad happens! I've never even had a boyfriend, and I'm eighteen years old!"

"Don't even put that thought into my head." Jen grimaced. "No one should die a virgin! That's just wrong. And it's not like your an old grandma yet -- you still have plenty of time to find yourself a fella! And your good-looking, girl. It won't be hard."

Sarah just grumbled and muttered something under her breath.

Jen suddenly glanced down at Sarah's hand, which was lying palm-up on her lap. "Hey, has that birthmark always been red?"

Sarah looked at her hand quickly, and noticed the mark was a dull scarlet color. She frowned. "Um, no. It's always been more peach colored."

"That's weird." Jen remarked, her brow raising. "Did you get that guy's blood on your hand? I mean, you can spare _some_ details, but don't spare _all_ the details. Murder is a crime, sure, but friends don't rat on--"

"Just stop there, Jen." Sarah rolled her eyes. "No, I didn't get the guy's blood on my hands. He was perfectly intact when I left him."

Jen suddenly laughed loudly. "You just left him on the floor? Oh, smooth, Sarah, real smooth."

"What else was I supposed to do?" Sarah asked hotly. "Next time it happens, I'll call out, 'Hey, everyone, I was making out with this guy and he suddenly fainted on me for some unknown reason. Please stop the party to help me figure out what the hell is wrong with me.'"

"There's nothing wrong with you, for the last freaking time." Jennifer snapped. "Stop saying that."

"Is it just me, or is someone following us?" Sarah asked suddenly, looking in the rearview mirror. Jennifer quickly did the same, frowning. "Isn't that that guy that honked at you?" Sarah continued.

"Yeah." Jen said, sucking in one cheek in nervousness. "What do you think? Should I try to lose him?"

"Yeah." Sarah nodded. "Just to be safe."

They were silent as Jennifer pulled a couple of tricky moves to test the car behind them. It pulled back a little bit, but it was still following them, even when they got to Jen's neighborhood.

"Okay, this is getting kinda creepy." Jen breathed uneasily.

"Kinda?" Sarah said sarcastically.

"Should I call the police or something?" Jen asked, refusing to turn into her neighborhood. She didn't want any creeper to know where she lived.

"What can they do?" Sarah shook her head. "Lets just hang out at someplace busy tonight. What time is it?" Jen held out her arm so Sarah could look at her watch. Sarah's mouth dropped open. "Two in the morning? Is _anywhere _busy at this time of night?"

"The church it is." Jennifer suddenly made a u-turn and went a little faster than she had before.

"I've never pegged you for a church-going girl." Sarah commented, raising an eyebrow.

"I'm not." Jen said, sticking out her tongue at her friend. "But it's probably the safest place in town. It's always open, and they always provide a safe haven to people in need."

"You sound like you've had to do this before." Sarah said.

Jennifer pressed her lips together wordlessly, and they were both silent for a moment. Finally, Jen decided to speak, "My mother and I had to go there once. Things had... gotten too violent at home."

_Someone has been in my room again... I hate that! I HATE that!... I hate you! I hate YOU!... _

Sarah frowned, brushing off another of the random thoughts that didn't seem to want to leave her alone. She thought about what Jen had said for a moment. "I'm sorry." She said genuinely, resting her head on her friend's shoulder. Jen let her head fall to rest on top of Sarah's.

"It was a long time ago." Jen said quietly.

"But still," Sarah said. "Bad things like that still hurt sometimes."

_Help! You're hurting!_

_We _are_ helping... we're helping hands..._

Why was she remembering all of these weird dreams? She was a vivid dreamer, that she knew very well, but she never had such dark dreams. And no dreams that she had popped up in her mind of their own free will. She called them to her, not the other way around. "Yeah," Jen was saying softly. "But you move on."

They pulled in front of the church and quickly moved inside, not even looking behind them to see if the car was still there. Sarah's left hand started to tingle, but she was so stressed out that she ignored the sensation.

The church was mostly dark, the only light provided by candles. There was a priest praying in front of the grand alter of the Virgin Mary, his head bowed and a hood covering all of his face. Jen and Sarah slid into one of the long benches that filled the room silently. Jen immediately closed her eyes in respect and folded her hands in her lap, but Sarah kept her eyes wide open and she examined the altar with a her mouth slightly open.

Linda had been very religious and had forced Sarah and her dad to go to church every Sunday. Robert had stopped believing in the Christian God when he was eleven and he lost his father in spite of his many prayers, and he abandoned his belief in any God when Linda had left him after a year of counselling and many prayers to many different deities. Karen was very pious, but she liked to be so in the privacy of her own home. Robert would passively put up with Karen's strict religious rules, while Sarah had rebelled.

Sarah had stopped believing in God when her mother died.

But she had done her research when she was older, and found moral significances in all religions. She became much more submissive with Karen's laws when she realized what her stepmother was really trying to teach. She came to respect other peoples beliefs much more easily since...

She frowned, the tingling feeling on her hand becoming more pronounced. Something had happened when she was in her mid-teens that had opened up her mind. She could feel it on the tip of her tongue, but she felt like it wouldn't, _couldn't_ yet roll out. She closed her eyes and thought and thought, but whatever it was slipped away back into the abyss of ignorance. She sighed, ignoring her hand, and kept her eyes closed as started to daydream. And soon, she fell into the realms of sleep.

The priest stood when both of the girl's breaths became steady and slow, indicating that they were both sleeping. Mismatched eyes watched the pair, but one girl in particular, for a moment before turning towards the stained glass window and looking beyond. There was no other car besides the girls. The priest who was not an actual priest placed more protective spells around the church before simply vanishing. But not without one last, longing look at the sleeping brunette.

_How you turn my world you precious thing..._

* * *

Wow. I mean, wow. I am so honored to have gotten such love and support from you all. When I saw that I had **_15 _**reviews for chapter two, and how beautiful and supportive they were, I started to cry.

Then I promptly got to work on this chapter.

I didn't mean to get all religious on you guys at the end, really. It, in no way, reflects my own religious beliefs or has the intention of forcing any type of belief on anyone. All it is is Sarah's thoughts.

Sarah is also a lot meeker than I usually imagine her to be. She's more reserved and thoughtful than I had originally intended. In fact, I tried to reverse the roles in this chapter -- Sarah being the leader and Jennifer being the follower -- but it really failed miserably and it ended up being suckish. But don't get me wrong -- she still has that fire and spunk that I KNOW will be coming out eventually.

So now that you've finished my ramblesome author's note, REVIEW!! The more you review, the quicker the next chappy will get out! Plus, I left out a box of cyber cookies for people to take after the click that little button and tell me what they think. (There's also cyber milk in the cyber fridge. No, on your left. Your LEFT)

(Oh, and if you're lactose intolerant, grab the soy milk instead. ;D)

Love, love, love!

**Disclaimer:** _I own nothing, nothing, tra la laaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!_


	4. The Owl

_"Turn back, Sarah. Turn back before it's too late."_

_As the pain sweeps through, makes no sense for you..._

She was twirling, dancing. She was in a beautiful dress that made her feel like a princess...

_Every thrill has gonst, wasn't too much fun at all..._

The melody was haunting, both pulling her in and frightening her at the same time...

_But I'll be there for you..._

Strong arms were wrapped around her, and she felt protected and... dare she say, loved_?_

_As the world falls..._

"Sarah? Sar_ah_... Sarah! Wake up! Up, I say! Up!"

_down..._

Sarah groaned, frowning and trying to force herself back to sleep. She didn't want to get up, she was still so tired... And she was having the most marvelous dream... Where had she heard that song before?...

"The morning worship is going to file in at any moment... God, oh God, I do not want to have to sit through the service... I can't sing worth a damn... I wonder if it's a sin to curse in a church? Well, of course it is, but how bad of a sin?"

"Will you _shut up_?" Sarah grumbled in annoyance, childishly putting her hands over her ears. She wanted to find out who the strong arms belonged to!

"Oh, c'mon, get up Sarah! Or else we're going to have to stay here and pray." Jennifer's last sentence was a deadly whisper, conveying doom and panic in every syllable.

"Just five more minutes." Sarah half-pleaded, half-demanded, turning over so that she was laying flat on her stomach. But it was too late. The dream was gone, and she was almost completely awake.

"Five more?... We don't have five more minutes! We have to go _now_! I can't, like, stop time or anything, so let's _go_!"

_I have reordered time and I have done it all for _you_..._

"Fine, fine." Sarah sighed, rubbing her eyes and getting onto her feet.

"Thank you, thank you." Jen said, her voice full of gratitude as she grabbed Sarah's arm and practically ran out of the church.

Sarah yawned and tried to grab the car keys from Jen. "No way." Jen took the keys out of Sarah's reach. "You're exhausted. I'll drive."

"You drove all last night." Sarah pointed out grumpily, reluctantly getting into the passenger's seat of the car.

"So?" Jen rolled her eyes, revving up the engine and pulling out of the church parking lot.

Sarah suddenly sat up straight in her seat, her eyes wide and panicking. "Oh my God, Toby!" She cried, looking around frantically, having no idea what to do. "I've got to go get him! He must be so scared!"

_Through dangers untold and hardships unnumbered..._

"Relax, Sar, geez louise." Jennifer shook her head in amusement. "He's still with the sitter. I had her stay the whole night with the kids. They're probably still sleeping. Or, y'know, running around the house with the energy of two five year old boys."

Sarah let out a held breath and sank into the seat. "Sorry about that." She exhaled soundly, her lips upturning slightly. "I just... I get so protective with him."

_... I_ _have fought my way here... to take back the child that you have stolen..._

Sarah put her hands over her eyes and took a deep breath. These "dreams" of hers were starting to become really unnerving. She was getting fed up with hearing voices in her head, and seeing different things, and not understanding where these things came from! Was she losing her mind?

_Hey! Her head don't come off!..._

"Just stop it!" She suddenly screamed, cupping her hands over her ears and shaking her head violently. "Stop it, stop it!"

"Stop what? What the hell are you on about, Sar? Are you okay?" Jen was shaking her friend's arm now, her voice sounding confused and upset.

Sarah was on the verge of tears, and she turned to Jen with a look of desperation in her eyes. "I think I'm going crazy, Jen." She said softly, moving her hands so that they covered her nose and mouth, making her look like she was trying not to throw up.

"Calm down." Jen said, but almost entirely to herself. She pulled into the driveway of her home, where Todd and Toby were with Bethany the sitter. "Tell me what's going on, Sar."

Sarah promptly burst into tears, shaking her head and putting her hands over her eyes in an attempt to stop or slow the waterworks. "I don't even know myself!" She cried hysterically.

Jennifer suddenly screamed and Sarah looked up in surprise, tears still streaming down her face. Jen's finger was pointed at an owl that had suddenly and quite randomly landed on the hood of the car. It was a barn owl, Sarah examined, with large eyes that were looking straight at her. They were wide and sympathetic, like they were telling her that everything was okay and she was perfectly sane. Sarah quickly wiped the water off of her face, feeling embarrassed for some reason.

"What the hell is that?" Jen screeched, fumbling with her seatbelt in an attempt to stop it from strangling her.

"It's just an owl, Jen." Sarah said quietly, smiling hesitantly at it. She reached out her hand as if to touch it, not thinking that glass seperated them, but it's head suddenly swivelled around towards the door and it took off.

"Sarah!" Toby cried from the door.

"Owls should know they're only supposed to be out at night." Jen grumbled in annoyance, getting out of the car and completely forgetting about Sarah's brief meltdown.

Sarah frowned and looked at her outstretched hand. Her birthmark was a light pink color, she noted with a mix of fascination and apprehension. But she didn't get to think about it for very long, because Toby's face was suddenly up against the car window and he was making silly faces at her.

She laughed, shaking her head. "You're crazy!" She told him teasingly as she got out of the car.

He shrugged, nodding in agreement. He gave her a hug and then frowned when he got a good look at her face. "You were crying?" He accused suspiciously.

She managed to smile and shake it off. "Yep. But it's not a big deal, Tobes. How was your playtime?"

"Great!" Todd yelled enthusiastically, hugging his sister before pouncing on Sarah's back. "Jen won't give me a piggyback ride! Will you? Please, please, please?"

Sarah stumbled but made a quick recovery, grabbing onto Todd's legs. "Hold on!" She yelled before taking off, running around a tree and the car. Toby laughed and Todd shrieked in joy before Sarah suddenly plopped him down on the front step. "You owe me, kid." She said to Todd, grinning impishly and completely out of breath.

Jen suddenly swooped in and started tickling Toby. "You didn't drink all of my juice boxes, did you?" She giggled along with him. "My parents won't be happy when they get back from Aspen and all the juice boxes are gone!"

"I didn't, I didn't!" Toby promised between laughs.

"Okie dokie." Jen quickly dropped him and went over to Todd. "Juice boxes?" She growled playfully, pointing a finger at him.

Todd shook his head frantically.

"Are we going to the Library today, Sarah?" Toby randomly asked, looking up at his sister hopefully.

Sarah's brow furrowed. "Um, no, Tobes. Today's Sunday. We don't go on Sundays."

"I know." Toby said serenely. "But I think we should. We're not doin' anything else, are we?"

She shook her head. "No, not really, I guess. Why do you want to go?"

"I just have a feeling that we should." Toby shrugged, smiling brightly.

Sarah tilted her head. "Um... okay. I guess we can. Do you wanna walk?"

Toby nodded eagerly, and Sarah smiled apologetically at Jen, who waved away the unspoken apology with a wave. "Have fun!" She said, pulling Todd to her chest. The siblings and Bethany waved goodbye as Sarah and Toby walked hand-and-hand towards the Library.

Sarah stifled a yawn, trying to stay awake and alert for her brother's sake. "Did you have fun at Todd's, Tobe?"

Toby nodded. "Tons and tons! We ate popcorn, watched movies, played Star Wars legos... hey, why's there an owl over there in that tree?"

Sarah turned to look where Toby was pointing, and she noticed that is was the bird that had landed on Jen's car just a few moments ago. It must've followed them. "I think he's lost." Sarah said. "He must belong to someone, and that's why he's out during the day. We might look like his owners."

"Why would people own owls?" Toby asked, frowning. "Owls isn't pets."

"Owls _aren't_pets." Sarah corrected her brother, watching the owl just as it watched her intensely. "And there are many reasons. There are lots of bird rehabilitation places around here. That could be it."

"Do you think it'd come down and hang out with us?" Toby asked eagerly, looking up at his sister hopefully.

"I dunno, Tobes." Sarah shook her head slightly. "Probably not."

"Can we try? Please, please, please?"

"What exactly do you want me to try?" Sarah asked, raising an eyebrow. "Do you want me to just stick out my arm and coax it down?"

"What does co-_ax_ mean?" Toby asked curiously.

"It means, like, gently convincing."

"Oh." Toby nodded. "That sounds good! Try it!"

Sarah let out an exasperated sigh and let go of her brothers hand, sticking out an arm in front of her. "Hello, Mr. Owl." Sarah said softly, smiling at the animal. "Or Mrs. Owl?" She questioned, and the owl, surprisingly, moved it's head to the side as if to say "no". "Mr. Owl?" She questioned again, and the owl stretched out his wings, seemingly saying "of course".

She giggled, and so did Toby. "Would you like to come down, Mr. Owl?" Sarah asked, delighting in the childish game of "get the animal off the branch and onto you". She felt like she was six again.

To her surprise and Toby's delight, the owl flew off of the tree and landed gracefully on Sarah's outstretched arm. Toby squealed happily, and Sarah's mouth dropped open in shock. _The owl actually landed on her_.

"Wow." That was about all she could say as the owl blinked, watching her as intently as she was watching it. She felt an overwhelming feeling of affection and knowing, like she had met this owl before...

"It likes you, Sarah!" Toby said, clapping his hands together happily. The owl drew itself up, looking regal and almost human-like in it's mannerisms. "What are we going to name him?"

"Isn't Mr. Owl a good enough name?" Sarah teased as the owl "shook" its head again, looking rather put out at his current title. She reached up her free hand to tentatively stroke the length of the creature's back, and it cooed in appreciation.

"I like Puffball!" Toby grinned. "'Cause he looks like a puffball!"

The owl looked mortified, turning its head to glare at the boy. "I don't think he likes that one." Sarah said, smiling in amusement.

Toby frowned in disappointment. "Fluffers?"

The owl promptly turned and hopped onto Sarah's shoulder, straightening and looking like royalty. "I don't think anything in their right mind would like to be called 'Fluffers', Tobes." Sarah said teasingly. She looked at the owl of the corner of her eye, really searching for the right name for him. "I think we should name him King." Sarah said decisively. "He certainly acts like one." The owl suddenly nibbled at her earlobe affectionately, like he approved of his new name. She giggled and pulled away instinctively, not used to some random owl biting on her.

"Kingy." Toby tested out the sound of the name, and decided that he liked it. "Okay! I like it."

The owl glared at Toby again, but it seemed to understand that he was getting the lesser of two evils in being called "Kingy" over "Puffball" or "Fluffers". "Are we gonna keep him?" Toby asked, his eyes wide and pleading.

Sarah hesitated. "I don't think dad would be too happy if we brought home an owl."

"Where else is he gonna go?" Toby pointed out, sticking out his bottom lip and looking up at her with puppy-dog eyes.

Sarah sighed, placing one hand on her hip. "We'll see. He can at least come with us to the Library."

Toby clapped his hands together happily. "Yay! Can I hold him?"

"Um, sure, I guess." Sarah put her hand in front of King's feet so he would jump onto her hand, which he did rather reluctantly. He didn't seem to particularly want to get away from her, but he obediently hopped onto Toby's shoulder, once again drawing himself up to his full height and looked around imperiously.

They walked together to the Library, smiling and Toby chatting nonstop about how all of his friends would be so jealous because he had held an owl. When they reached the building, King flew off of Toby's shoulder and onto the sign that said the Library's hours.

"We'd like it if you stayed here to wait for us." Sarah told him, surprised that she wasn't feeling silly talking to a bird. It seemed almost... _natural_ for some reason. "But you can do whatever you'd like."

King just blinked at her. She had a feeling he understood her every word.

"Bye, Kingy!" Toby waved goodbye to the owl as he and his sister went inside.

"Sarah! Toby! What a nice surprise!" Mr. Hobbs, an older man who was at the front desk, smiled warmly at them both. "Are you here for anything in particular?"

"Nope, we just wanted some books." Sarah said. "We rarely take any home anymore, so this is a nice treat."

"Well, have fun." He said, as Mrs. Dean suddenly appeared and handed Toby a lollipop.

"You spoil him so, Mrs. Dean." Sarah said in mock exasperation as Toby eagerly took the candy and put it in his mouth. Mrs. Dean patted her hand and smiled, saying nothing as usual.

Toby trotted off with a Magic School Bus book to go read in the kid's corner that had comfortable bean bag chairs. Sarah felt comfortable leaving him alone with so few people around and caring, attentive staff keeping an eye on him. She went over to the fiction area and started skimming the spines of the books, suddenly possessed to look for another copy of the tiny red book she had seen the day before.

She had only been looking for a handful of minutes when her left hand started tingling. She shook it out and gently massaged it, but it wouldn't go away. Then she heard the shuffling of footsteps not far away from her.

She stood up straight, freezing in place. She felt uneasy all of a sudden, and she was tempted to make a run for it. She looked to both of her sides and saw only books and empty space.

That's when she saw the flash of black on the row opposite hers.

She thought quickly, curiosity overwhelming her. She wanted to know who was there. She slowly turned and walked down the aisle, pausing at the end. She could hear the steady sounds of someone breathing, and her hand was tingling so much it felt like it was vibrating...

"Sarah! Someone for you at the front desk!" Mr. Hobbs suddenly called, his voice muffled because of the distance. Sarah frowned, wondering who could want to see her, and why they had to pick this time of all times.

She paused, deciding that it was just her imagination and it was probably just some college kid looking for a way to kill some time. "Coming!" She called after a moment, reluctantly turning away from the flash of black and feeling of curiosity. She turned her back on this person and she felt such a sense of loss that she felt like she was practically leaving a close friend on their deathbed.

But at the same time, she had turned away before it was too late.

When Sarah reached the front desk and she saw who was there for her, she stopped, her mouth dropping open in surprise. She was so stunned that she completely forgot about what had happened only minutes previously, and all she could do was stare.

"Hey there, beautiful." Travis greeted her with a cocky grin. "Are you doing anything tonight?"

* * *

[insert evil laughter here] XD BET NONE OF YOU SAW THAT COMING!!

Well, actually, I'm sure a lot of you did. But now... NOW... the prophecy had been fulfilled!! ... um... Can you tell that I have gotten little sleep, little sugar, and have been watching/reading epic movies/books/fanfics obsessively?

So, yeah, "you know who" was in the Library. She was just about to find him and BAM... Travis pops up and goes OH NO YOU DIDDINT!! XD

I am exhausted, so I'm just going to hit the little 'add chapter' button and hope that all of you review!! Also, I'm still looking for a beta! *poke poke*

Oh, and for all of you that are dying due to the suspense... *shoves oxygen tanks at them* TAKE THEM, TAKE THEM!! BREATHE!!

You're going to have to live with those tanks for awhile, because one of the genre's for the story is "suspense". *grins guiltily*

Now that you are all breathing and have NO EXCUSE... Please review? :)

Love you all!!

**Disclaimer:** _If I really owned something, don't you think I'd be writing the screenplay for Labyrinth II instead of this??_


	5. The Attacks

_"Well, if that is the way it is done, then that is the way you must do it."_

"Excuse me?" She asked, completely flabbergasted. She noticed that all of the staff had mysteriously disappeared, leaving the two of them alone. Darn them for wanting her to get a date!

"I was just in the area and wanted to know if you were busy." He said with an air of superiority about him, smirking.

"And what possessed you do so?" She didn't mean to be rude, but they had met only once and he hadn't exactly been the perfect gentleman.

He was quiet for a moment, looking at her intently. "You do know how physically stunning you are, right?" He said huskily, but genuinely.

She rolled my eyes. "Thanks, I guess." But inside, she was thinking, _'Whatever, loser. Work on your pickup lines!'_

"No, really." He said, his brilliant green eyes flashing with sincerity. "I'd like to get to know you much better, Sarah."

"Well, it turns out that I am busy tonight." She said stiffly, feeling slightly guilty for fibbing. She didn't know why, but Travis made her feel very uncomfortable. It was like he knew her much too well for someone that she had just met.

Travis raised an eyebrow. "Are you really?" He asked lowly, seeing right through her lie.

"Yes, I am." She said coolly. "I hope that wasn't your only reason for stopping by."

"It wasn't actually." He said, just as smoothly. "I was returning this." He held the small red book up in the air, looking like he had conjured it out of midair.

_Once upon a time, there was a beautiful young girl whose stepmother always made her stay home with the baby..._

She was suddenly filled with a fierce desire to snatch the book out of his hands, and take it and read it, and keep it for her own. Travis seemed to notice this and he smiled knowingly.

_And the baby was a spoiled child and the young girl was practically a slave..._

She froze. She was hearing a story quite clearly in her mind and it... well, it almost sounded like _her _voice.

_But what no one knew..._

The words faded away.

_'Knew what?'_ She demanded of herself. _'What, what what?! C'mon, you can't leave me hanging like that!'_

Travis cleared his throat. "Ah, well. It was worth coming in here just to see your lovely face. I guess I shall just go now..."

She ground her teeth together in frustration. He knew something that she didn't, and that annoyed her to no end. "I'm not busy tonight." She muttered under her breath.

"I'm sorry, what was that?" Travis asked in mock surprise, cupping his hand over his ear.

"Don't be a jerk." She hissed. "You heard me."

"Oh, so you _aren't_ busy tonight? How wonderful!" He grinned broadly. "I hope that means I can take you out tonight?"

"Pansy." She mumbled accusingly. He smirked, and so she assumed he heard her.

"How does right now sound to you?" He asked, drawing a step closer to her. "Or do I really have to wait until tonight?"

"You're going to have to wait until tonight." She replied. "I'm here with my brother."

He raised an eyebrow, smirking again. "You have a brother?" She was a little taken aback when he heard the blatant thrill in his voice.

"Er... yeah, I do." Her brow furrowed, wondering why he was so excited to hear that. She was also kind of creeped out.

"That's cool." He said, clearing his throat and his voice resumed its normal tone. He must've noticed that his brief euphoria had come out quite clearly in his voice. "Then how does six tonight sound?"

"Six? Um... well, yeah, I guess six works." Sarah said reluctantly. "Do you have a pen? I'll give you my address..."

"Oh, no need." Travis said breezily. "I'll find it."

Kind of creeped out? She was now _completely _creeped out. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah." He shrugged. "I have a really good sense of direction."

"But you've never been to my house before." She pointed out, hoping she was right and that he wasn't stalking her.

"But I'm going today. I'm walking you home." He said confidently.

_'Oh. Thanks for assuming that you could do that without asking me, dipwad.' _She should've slapped him then and told him that there she was placing an unofficial restraining order on his butt, but she couldn't make herself do so. She knew he knew something about her that related to... to what? That book? The weird thoughts she was having? Regardless, maybe he could help her. So she just said, "M'kay."

"Is that him?" He asked, pointing at her brother who was trotting over to them with a few books clutched to his chest.

Toby answered for her, coming up to her and smiling. "I'm going to need your library card now." He said seriously, like his life depended on those books.

She grinned at him, taking the library card out of her back pocket (she noticed Travis's gaze following her hand and she internally made a note to slap him if he looked there ever again) and handed it to Toby. "Here ya' go, Tobes." She ruffled his hair and he went over to Mrs. Dean, who was waiting for him to check out his books.

"Tobes? Your parents were very original." Travis remarked.

"His name is Toby." She corrected him, before shifting her weight onto her other foot, a bit awkwardly. "My parents weren't original. It was my stepmother. She was all for naming her boy 'Tobias', because it sounded like a royal name. She was going to name her kid 'Eleanor' if she had a girl. I thought she was just trying to torture me with all her fancy names. I mean, I got plain old boring 'Sarah'."

He chuckled. "It's a good thing you're not plain, old, or boring, isn't it, then?"

"Ha ha." She laughed sarcastically as Toby came back over to them.

Toby quickly dumped his books into Sarah's arms, looking from Travis, to Sarah, and then back to Travis. "Who are you?" He asked him bluntly.

"Travis, at your service, young Tobias." Travis said grandly, crouching down to Toby's level and holding out his gloved hand. Toby shook it politely.

"Are you a magic man?" Toby asked as his follow up question.

Travis arched an eyebrow and put his hand behind his back. "Would you like to find out?" He asked mystically, bringing his hand back in front of him, though it now held a dark blue crystal sphere in his open palm.

_Do you want it?_

She didn't know what possessed her to do it. She didn't know why hearing a new, completely entrancing voice in her head forced her to act in such a way. But hearing that enchanting voice and seeing a crystal seemed to make her temporaily lose her sanity.

She kicked Travis. Swiftly, and in the gut.

He fell onto his butt in surprise, the crystal slipping out of his hands and rolling over towards the bathrooms. Toby squealed in both amusement and fright and Sarah almost immediately started apologizing.

"Oh my God! I'm so, _so_ sorry! I... Oh my God, I don't know what came over me!" She quickly bent over to help him up.

He accepted her hand readily and then brushed off the back of his jeans. "I hope you don't do that to every man who comes to court you." Travis said conversationally.

She grimaced. Toby quickly piped up, "What does _court _mean?"

"It means that someone pesters you to get you to hang around them." Sarah supplied readily.

"It means that I like your sister." Travis said just as readily.

Toby made a disgusted face. "Ew! Gross!" He went over to Sarah's side and took her hand. "Lets go home now."

"Just a second." Sarah said. "I'm going to go use the ladies room real quick. Then we can go."

"Okay." Toby said glumly, looking at Travis distrustfully while Travis smiled pleasantly back.

Sarah walked over towards the bathroom, and when she got there, she went behind a bookcase so they couldn't see her. She looked around quickly for the blue crystal, and she spotted it by the water fountain. She quickly went over and bent down to look at it, but she didn't dare touch it. She examined it for a moment with a critical eye and then abruptly stood, turning her back on it.

Two seconds later, she changed her mind and turned back around. She brought her foot up and then brough it harshly down on the crystal, satisfied when it shattered. She jumped on it once, and then again, making sure it was completely broken. Smirking, she looked up to see an old woman staring at her warily.

"Gift from my _ex_-boyfriend." Sarah said saccharinely, saying the first thing that came to her mind.

The lady then ceased to look suspicious and nodded knowingly.

* * *

Sarah came out of the bathroom five minutes later to find Toby and Travis staring at each other. Toby was glaring fiercely, but Travis was completely serene and a bit mocking. Sarah cleared her throat when she reached them and Travis immediately straightened. Toby grinned triumphantly. "I won!"

"Staring contest?" Sarah guessed. Toby had made her do that with him so many times now her eyes practically always felt dry.

Toby nodded. "Yep!"

"He's good." Travis said seriously.

"I know." Toby said smugly.

Sarah took Toby's hand and the group of three walked out of the library together. "Kingy!" Toby cried joyfully as soon as they got outside.

The owl looked pissed.

Not that she knew what hissy owls exactly looked like, but for some reason, she could just tell. Her suspicions were confirmed when King jumped into the air, talons outstretched, ready to rip Travis's face off.

"King!" Sarah stepped in front of Travis just in time, and the owl gracefully landed on her shoulder, scooting over to her ear to nibble on it again.

Travis looked disturbed. "What the hell?" He stumbled back a step, raising an eyebrow at the owl.

Toby gasped. "Oooooh... you said a swear word! You have to put a dollar in the swear jar!"

"Swear jar?" He asked eloquently. "We don't have a swear jar."

Toby held out his hand patiently. "You can just pay me then."

Travis paused, looking dumbstruck for a moment. Then he grinned. "I can't believe I just got conned by a five year old." He shook his head, fishing a dollar from his jacket pocket and handing it to Toby, who promptly stuck it in his jean pocket.

Sarah sighed, stroking King idly. Travis quickly turned his attention back to her. "How do you have a pet owl?" He asked suspiciously.

She shrugged. "Let Toby tell you as we walk." Toby brightened instantly, and launched into the tale.

"And then he tried to attack you! It was funny! And I made money off of it! Kingy and I are going to have a profiterable relationship." Toby said the last sentence solemnly, wrapping up his story.

"It's_ profitable_, Tobes." Sarah corrected serenely, keeping a close eye on King, who was glaring maliciously at Travis.

Toby shrugged. "Whatever."

Travis's eyes flickered back and forth between Sarah and King, like he was seeing them for the first time. Sarah raised an eyebrow and King glared harder. "Wow." Travis said intelligently.

"Yeah." Sarah nodded, disinterested. King nuzzled up against her neck affectionately.

"That's our house!" Toby pointed, and Travis's eyes followed the direction. Then he smirked, looking around at the street.

"This may or may not be an odd coincidence, but..." Travis pointed further down the street. "If you take a left turn at Redbud, I'm the first house on the right."

Sarah stopped walking, while Toby expressed interest about his house. Travis lived just a few houses away from her? Well, it was about two blocks, but still, that was oftly close.

King tried to lunge again, but Sarah put her hand in front of his chest and pushed him back onto her shoulder. He seemed content enough with this and promptly started chewing on her hair.

"I guess I'll see you later tonight, then." Travis said as Sarah got out her key to unlock their front door. She smiled halfheartedly at him. "Um, yeah. I'll see you later." Travis nodded, winked at Toby, and then set off down the street. Sarah looked after him for a moment, and stopped King once again from following Travis and ripping his throat out.

"Be nice." She gently reprimanded the owl. King just fluffed up his feathers haughtily.

Then she put her key in the doorknob and opened the door, letting Toby go inside first. She was so concentrated on getting Toby to take shoes off before he went inside, she missed seeing Travis turn around and look back at them. She didn't see King the owl look back, and Sarah was completely left out of the hate-filled understanding that passed between the two.

But she probably would've been frightened if she hadn't been.

* * *

Thank you ALL for your awesome, kind reviews... You really make my days, and inspire me to update.

**Disclaimer:** _Iay wnoay othingnay!_


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